I'll Wait Here Forever
by Winter Sapphire
Summary: For the first time since the plane crash you allow yourself to feel just a glimmer of hope. Paire, canon, but AU after 3.18.


Title: I'll Wait Here Forever  
Characters/Paring: Peter/Claire, Nathan, Angela, Sandra, mentions of Lyle and Noah  
Rating: PG (cursing)  
Word Count: 1799  
Spoilers/Warnings: AU from 3.18, Exposed, slight references to all episodes following it.  
Summary: For the first time since the plane crash you allow yourself to feel just a glimmer of hope.  
A.N: So this is an idea I toyed with for the "Wandering Eyes" challenge but never did anything with because it didn't work out, so I re-worked it and expanded upon it to fit this challenge. I have no idea what possessed me to write in second person, though. Seriously, wtf? I hope I did it decently, though. xD Here goes nothing.

**______________________________________**

_I want you to know  
With everything I won't let this go, these words are my heart and soul  
I'll hold on to this moment you know, 'cause I'd bleed my heart out to show  
And I won't let go_

-- With Me, Sum 41  
**____________________________________**

The wound is throbbing painfully and you're half-afraid you're just going to topple out of the air and crash into the ground below before you can get to Claire. Nathan was wrong; it's not just a scratch and you're scared--scared that the resistance is going to fall and everyone you know is going to disappear because you just couldn't hold out.

The next thing you know you're crashing through an open window and skidding to a stop on the floor, groaning as the pain rips through your shoulder even more ferociously than before. "_Fuck_."

And then you hear her gasp from somewhere in the room, your head craning upwards just as she reaches your side. "Peter!"

You somehow manage to crack a grin at her bewildered, worried face as you shrug your good shoulder. "I got shot."

"No shit, Sherlock," Claire quips dryly as her fingers brush yours and you lace your hand with hers firmly before absorbing her power (trying to ignore how it _tingles_ this time around), sighing in relief as your body expels the bullet and the wound knits itself back together. You smile fondly up at her as you pick the bullet from the floor.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best doctor around?"

"_When_ I'm around," she scoffs at you as a tear rolls down her cheek and you don't hesitate to draw her into a gentle hug, whispering comforting words into her hair as she buries her face into your shoulder. "Dammit, Peter, don't scare me like that."

It's only then that you notice the other person in the room, watching with curious eyes and a knowing little smile. It's the first time you've ever met Claire's mother and you straighten your back instinctually with a sudden, coiling nervousness growing in your stomach. "Ah, Mrs. Bennet--I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--it's, ah..." You cut off your babbling with a cough and let go of Claire as you stand up, extending your hand with a slight flush on your face. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I have to say," she starts off as she accepts your hand, her Texan drawl barely noticeable as she speaks, "I'm surprised it's taken this long for me to meet the man that saved my daughter's life." She smiles warmly at you and the tension in your shoulders drains away instantly at her welcoming expression.

"Trust me, I would've met you much sooner if I had been able to," you tell her sincerely, voice lowering a fraction as you add, "Do you... know what's going on?" She smiles at you with that same knowing smile again, a little sadder this time, and you know that she does. "I'm... sorry about your husband."

"Ah." she waves her hand dismissively even though she has a hint of loss in her eyes. "It was a train long coming. Would've happened eventually." You smile sadly at her and she clears her throat. "Claire and I were gonna watch a movie. Would you like to join us, Mr. Petrelli?"

"Call me Peter," you correct her gently as you nod, "and I'd love to."

---

It's the most normal you've felt in a while, sandwiched between Sandra Bennet and Claire as you hold a lukewarm pouch of popcorn in your lap. _Pride and Prejudice_ is playing on the TV (you promised them you would enjoy the movie; you've always had a secret love for Jane Austen novels, anyway) and somehow the dull light from the screen is enough to distract you from the fact that the blinds are closed tight around the house.

You think you spot Claire's brother peeking down from the top of the stairs and you crane your neck subtly to try and see him, but his shadow is disappearing around the corner before you get the chance.

You turn your eyes back to the screen just as Mr. Darcy is declaring his love to Elizabeth for the first time and you feel a hand slide into yours. You glance to your right and your gaze meets Claire's. She's smiling at you, a soft smile that's just slightly reminiscent of the smile you saw when you first met her. You squeeze her hand lightly in your own and before you can think twice your fingers lace together.

It feels right. Natural. And for the first time since the plane crash you allow yourself to feel just a glimmer of hope that everything is going to be all right.

---

You're with her in her room when she gets the text-message from the mysterious _Rebel_ and she tries to shove you in the closet as she babbles about "they don't know you're here" and "you'll be okay."

You're stronger than her and instead you just crush her to you in an embrace, tightening your arms around her as she tries to pull back. You're not letting her go down alone and if she thinks you're going to just abandon her then she must have really lost the hope and faith she once had. You can feel your heart breaking for the woman who never really got the chance to be a girl.

It's then that Nathan appears outside the window and if he's surprised to see you it doesn't show. He just motions for you and you squeeze Claire's shoulder as you pull back.

It's the first time in a while that you're glad to see Nathan and you take his power quickly, scooping Claire up in your arms and disappearing out the window just before the agents storm into the room.

It's such a close call that you cradle Claire to your chest almost possessively as you fly and even when your arms start to get tired you refuse to let Nathan lay a hand on her and take over.

You may be grateful to him for showing up when he did but neither you or Claire are anywhere close to trusting him again.

---

When you get to New York Claire is sleepily easily in your arms, her head nestled in the crook of your neck and her breath tingling your skin. Her right arm is still hanging loosely around the back of your neck from when she was holding onto you earlier, but her other hand has fallen down to unconsciously clutch at your shirt in her sleep.

The three of you land in the crown of Lady Liberty a little after one in the morning and Nathan immediately moves to take Claire from your arms. You tighten your grip on her protectively, eyes narrowing with warning.

"Peter..." Nathan sighs, but you don't want to hear his reasons or excuses.

"You should go find Mom," you snap out quietly, "If they went after Claire they'll probably try to track her down too."

"Pete, please--" but you ignore him, sliding down against the wall to sit on the floor and Claire's body adjusts immediately to the new position. You raise your gaze challengingly to your brother and Nathan's eyeing you both with his calculating politician's gaze as he says carefully, "She's your _niece_."

"I'm her _hero_," you counter immediately, closing your eyes and letting your head nod down to rest on hers; Nathan must know the conversation is over because you hear a '_whoosh_' and when you crack an eye open he's gone.

"You are so much more than just my hero," Claire mutters against your skin. You're not quite sure when she woke up, but you figure it's not really important as you press a lingering kiss to her temple and smile into her hair.

"I know," you whisper and it's then that you notice that your thumb is unconsciously tracing patterns on her shoulder. "You're so much more to me, too, Claire."

Claire shifts against you and the next thing you know you're staring into her eyes, twinkling at you with such an amazing amount of trust that your heart soars.

"Peter..." You're so close you can feel her breath against your lips as she breathes out your name. You're pretty sure she can feel your heart hammering in your chest because you know you can feel hers and you lean forward, foreheads bumping together.

"Peter," she repeats and suddenly it's your noses that are touching, scraping and bumping gently against each other in an impromptu nuzzle. You swallow thickly, closing your eyes and breathing deeply to try and calm your racing heart. It doesn't work; your lips are pressed against hers and it goes thumping off again, leaping into your throat as you clutch her shoulders tightly.

"Claire," you murmur against her and she somehow presses herself closer, circling her arms around your waist. You're clinging to her as if she's all you have left in the world (she is) and she's seizing you just as fervently.

"Love you," the words quiver against your lips as she speaks them and you repeat them instantly before pulling back suddenly, though you are still close enough to rest your forehead against hers again. You can feel her fingers digging into your back as she says fearfully, "Don't leave me, Peter."

You move your arms to wrap around her waist as you recline further, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose as you assure her, "I will _never_ leave you, Claire."

She nods lightly before resting against your chest and the steady beat of your heart lulls her to sleep within minutes.

---

You must have dozed off too because the next thing you hear are the hushed sounds of Nathan and your mother talking.

"I've known this was going to happen, Nathan," she's saying to him decidedly. "You might as well just accept it."

Nathan is grumbling to himself. "I don't understand it. How can this _happen_? He's her uncle, Ma. It's not like Peter to do something like this!"

"Oh, Nathan, please," she scoffs at him. "You know as well as I do that their connection runs deeper than shared DNA. I've given up trying to change their future. You should think about doing the same." Her voice softens to a tone that you haven't heard from her in years as she explains, "They trust each other unconditionally and they are the only people who can give each other hope for the future." Her voice cuts off again and you can hear her walking towards you quickly. Her hand is on your shoulder, shaking you awake as if she doesn't know you already were (you're sure she did). Her voice is hard again as she speaks, "Peter, wake up. We have to go."

You open your eyes, shaking Claire gently as you ask, "Go where?"

You mother smiles secretively as she simply says, "To where our story begins."

**______________________________________**

_I don't want this moment to ever end  
Where everythings nothing without you  
I'll wait here forever just to, to see you smile  
'Cause it's true, I am nothing without you  
**______________________________________**_

Reviews are loved. :)

-WS


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